Lone Wolves
by Nicole Wagner
Summary: An Alternate version of what happened AFTER Antarctica in Uncanny X-Men #350. Everything you know that happened, is not what it seemed. Work in Progress. Chapter 6 is now up. Please read and review! Not a slash ficcie! Now with Beej as a co-author!
1. Set Up

Lone Wolves

By Nicole Wagner: The Deadly Gambit

Rated: PG-13/R for violence, sexual themes, and language

Summary: An Alternate version of what happened AFTER Antarctica in Uncanny X-Men #350. Everything you know that happened, is not what it seemed.

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Chapter One: Set Up

The last memory he had was being left to die in Antarctica, of being told he had no family and that he was no longer worthy of being an X-Man. Remy LeBeau could have sworn those words were colder than the snow and ice around him at the time. He remembered just standing there as Rogue flew off, feeling a though she had stripped him of everything worth living in life. What was it that Fagan used to tell him as a child?

"Cockroaches are better left to the dark than the light. In the dark they are kings, in the light they are unworthy of life. You stick to the dark shadows of this world, and you'll be fine."

So why did he not feel like a king in the darkness he was trapped in, now? Everything around him was dark, pitch black actually. There was no light, no sound, just darkness. But that soon changed, when he heard a door open, and then the sounds of heavy footsteps.

"Finally awake, Cajun?"

He knew that voice, he hated that voice. With a groan, Remy tried to get up, by found himself unable to do so. He was tied up. He couldn't move, he could not even charge his bonds. What the hell was going on!? He hissed under his breath, speaking the man's name who had him bound.

"Creed…"

"Guess you aren't as dumb as I thought." Victor Creed chuckled. He knelt down and grasped Remy by his hair, forcing the young Cajun to look at him. "Too bad your little X-Men friends left you behind. Who knew they were so stupid to believe that had something to do with the Morlocks!"

"Mais, like 'ow you were stupid enough to get caught by de X-Men awhile back, neh?" Remy smirked, trying to hide his fear with a cocky attitude. He soon came to regret that action. Creed used his other hand to slap him across the face, hard enough to see stars. He then felt something cold running down the right side of his face. He was not slapped, he was clawed right across the face.

"I can still smell it in you…" Creed lifted his bloodied claws up to his nose, sniffing the crimson liquid. "You're just like him. I smelt it back when I first cut you open, and I can still smell it now."

"Old age finally getting' to you, Sabretooth?" A weak laugh escaped Remy's lips, as he was forced to look up at the monster. " 'cause you ain' makin' no sense."

"Then I take back what I said, Cajun… you are as dumb as I thought." He snarled a little, slamming Remy's head down on to the concrete floor. "You and me… we're going to have a lot of fun, for a long, long time. And after I'm done with you, you are gonna wished I never saved your ass in Antarctica."

Remy spit up a bit of blood. His teeth had cut the inside of his mouth from suddenly getting slammed into the floor like that. He coughed a little, looking back up at Creed, seeing a sadistic smile on his face.

"How… how did you even know I was dere, an' why did you even save me?" He spit up a little more, feeling Creed's clawed fingers move down his neck. He could not help but shiver at such a feeling.

"Heh… let's just say this was all in the works for months. After I told your lil' girlie friend about Paris." Creed smiled more, seeing Remy's eyes widen. "She played you big time. Nothing like a scorned woman, I'll tell you that. 'course all the frails I scorned are dead."

He could not help but be shocked by such news. Then again, he was shocked with what came out at his so called "trial". He was in the Morlock Tunnels when the massacre happened, but he was not leading them, or working for Sinister at the time. Hell, he was actually in the tunnels looking for the one that lead under a bank. The only reason he got involved with what happened that day, was to try and save lives.

When he heard what Betsy said, he realized that her memories of what she saw in his head were of his guilt. He thought he lead the Marauders down the tunnels, he felt guilty for not doing enough… so he believed he had something to do with it, when in truth, he did not. As for Rogue… when she kissed him at the trial, she did not say anything that came from his memories or guilt. It was all lies.

At first, he assumed it was from when she was empowered by Nanny, since she was showing Creed's persona from time to time. Perhaps their memories got mixed up. Perhaps she was scared and confused… but from what Creed was telling him. This whole trial, leaving him behind… she set him up. She wanted him to suffer, to hurt. But why? How could someone be so evil?

"I know what you're thinking' , Cajun." Creed snickered, grabbing Remy by the hair again and forcing his face to come closer to his own. "Bet your wonderin' why she would do this to you. Well… she wanted a real man, kid. One who could actually give her what she needs. You? You just gave her some lovey dovey emotional crap! You were like a leach, she couldn't shake you off!"

"Den tell me… who was it dat could give her what she wanted?" He hissed. He started to think it was Joseph or Magneto… whatever the hell he was calling himself these days.

"Me." He laughed in Remy's face, seeing him look completely shocked yet again. "Sure, that Joseph fella helped a bit with the trial. But she's playing him, too. See, Roguie can actually control her powers… and she likes real men. Not some Frenchie, smoozer guy like yourself. Girl's a piece of work, just like her mother. It's why I like her so much."

"You're sick…" Remy was still lost. Rogue betrayed him… she hated him. She'd rather run about with a monster like Creed, a man who slept with her adoptive mother. She was more messed up than he could ever be. "You are both fucking sick!"

"Yeah, ain't it great?" Creed smirked, his cold eyes looking into Remy's demon like eyes. "Now, let's play, Cajun. I wanna hear you scream."

Hearing those words from Creed's mouth made the situation all too real for Remy. He was trapped, he was trapped with a psychopathic killer. He couldn't use his powers for some reason, and there was no way out. He was at Creed's mercy.

End of Chapter 1


	2. One Year Later

Lone Wolves

By Nicole Wagner: The Deadly Gambit

Rated: PG-13/R for violence, sexual themes, and language

Summary: An Alternate version of what happened AFTER Antarctica in Uncanny X-Men #350. Everything you know that happened, is not what it seemed.

I would like to take this time to thank my muses Nekobaghira, Cathy-kins, and RogueMoon for helping me out with this story by allowing me to hear their ideas, and share mine with them.

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Chapter Two: One Year Later

It had been a year since Gambit had been left behind in Antarctica. His body had never been found, and there had been no trace of him since. For all the X-Men knew, he was presumed dead. For Logan, it hurt more than they could ever know.

He sat in the bar at Harry's Hideaway, beer in one hand, and a cigar in the other. Normally, Remy would be sitting next to him. The two would bullshit all night, play around of pool, or even a game of darts. Now a days, Logan just sat by himself. There was no point in playing pool or darts, when you had no equal competition. And there was no point in talking to others, when the only person who you felt was like you was gone forever.

He took a few puffs of his cigar, looking over at a picture Harry kept on the bar wall. It was taken two years ago, when they were celebrating how long Logan had been with the X-Men. Right next to him was Remy, large smile on his face, and his arm around one of the barmaids. He chuckled, remembering that night. It was one of the few nights he felt he had a family.

Men like him, they were not meant to have families. They were not meant to fall in love, and certainly not meant to have children. Men like him were considered "Lone Wolves". The type of man who enjoyed life without attachments. Nothing to hold you back, nothing to hold you down. Just pure, unadulterated freedom.

So why did he sometimes want more out of life than freedom? Logan chewed on the end of his cigar as he thought about that. Sure, he could call himself an X-Man, but he never felt like he belonged. He could tell that Remy felt the same. They had so much in common, more than that kid knew.

Just as he was about to take a drag from his cigar, a familiar scent offended his nose. A low growl escaped his throat as he started to turn around on his bar stool to see who just walked into Harry's. His eyes narrowed, and it took everything he had to prevent himself from going into a berserker rage right there and then.

"You have a lot of balls comin' here, Creed." Logan finally took a drag of his cigar.

"Yeah, and you haven't come at me, yet. Starting to think you are getting soft, runt." Creed chuckled, just standing at the doorway. "I came to return something to yah. I'm done playing with it, and now that it's broken, it's no fun anymore."

Clearly, Logan was not amused. He took another puff of his cigar, not really in the mood to deal with this shit right now. He put down his beer, and got off his barstool, making his way towards Creed. He popped the claws out in one hand, making that all too familiar "snikt" sound.

"Listen, Bub. I ain't in the mood to deal with your shit, today! And frankly, I don't feel like tearing up this place, just to take down your sorry ass. It ain't worth the loss of good beer." He growled, stalking closer towards Creed. Suddenly, he stopped. Another scent hit his nose. His eyes narrowed into slits as a loud growl came from his throat. "What the fuck did you do, Creed!?"

"Heh. I found your boy, and decided to play with him for a bit." Creed slowly folded his large arms over his chest. "Can't believe you X-Men actually believed he was one of the Maurders. That skinny shit? It's a laugh! He was just casing the tunnels when we found him. Tried to play hero, too."

Logan could not contain himself any longer. He let out a fierce roar and tackled Creed, breaking the door to Harry's, and landing with Creed outside in the parking lot. He did not care about the sounds of screaming patrons or the rain that poured down from the heavens, he just wanted Creed dead.

"What the hell did you do to Gambit!?" His voice roared as he placed his adamantium claws to Creed's neck, only to hear another sick laugh come from the man. "Where is he!?"

"There is no fun in me telling you! And as for what I did to him, I taught the pretty boy to put that mouth of his to good use!" Creed's laugh echoed around the parking lot. He knew his words would get to Logan, and that is what he wanted. "He was better than any woman I've had in the past five years!"

Logan completely lost it hearing that, he drove his claws into Creed's chest, causing the larger man to roar in pain. He was hoping to have punctured his lungs, to shut him up. Instead, Creed's claws dug into his own back, and he was flung into a parked car like a stuffed animal.

"Like I said, Runt… you can have your boy back!" Creed got back up on his feet, the wounds to his chest slowly healing before Logan's eyes. "He ain't any fun since he doesn't scream or cry for me anymore. Hell, it's just pointless to even pinch him!"

"I am going to kill you, Creed!" Logan snarled, getting back on his feet with his claws ready. He wanted to rip his god damn head off his body, put it back on his shoulders for his healing factor to put it back on, then rip it off again. He was about to charge full force at him, when Remy's scent became a bit stronger. As much as it killed him inside, Remy had to come first.

"Heh, whatever, Runt. But if I was you, I'd make a B-line for the Cajun. Who knows how much longer he has left." Creed's laughter was the last thing Logan heard, before running off in the direction of the scent. Creed could only walk off, with a smug smile on his face. He knew Logan was going to be tormented even more when he saw what he did to the Cajun.

The scent took Logan about a mile from Harry's hideaway, into the woods. The scent kept getting stronger and stronger, until he found the source of it. He retracted his claws in complete shock over the sight before him. There, tied to a tree, was Remy.

Creed had him bound with leather, knowing Remy was incapable of charging organic materials. His body was far too skinny and his skin was almost as pale as the moonlight that lit the forest. Remy's brown hair, which was normally long to begin with, was now down to his waist and greasy looking. He was dressed in clothing far too big for him, clothing stained with blood, and that had Creed's scent all over them.

"Remy…" Logan actually found his hand shaking as he moved some of the hair from his face. He was barely breathing, his cheeks were sunken in along with his eye sockets. He looked as though he had been confined to an internment camp, though he probably would not have been treated better there than with Sabretooth.

As he tilted Remy's head to the side, he noticed five claw marks on the side of his face. They had long healed over, creating angry looking scars upon that perfect face of his. Creed wanted him to look in the mirror and remember, remember everything that happened. Everything he did. This caused Logan to growl louder, extending his claws yet again to swipe at the bonds that kept Remy against the tree.

As Remy slumped over after his restraints were cut, Logan let out a howl. Creed was going to die the next time he saw him. He would make him pay, he would make him suffer as much as the young man before him did. He quickly knelt down, and picked Remy up into his arms. He was as light as a feather in Logan's arms, despite the fact his clothes were soaked in rain water and blood. That was a bad sign.

"C'mon, kid… stay with me." Logan spoke to the unconscious man in his arms. "Don't give up, just stay with me!"

It took him a short time to make his way back to his Jeep, quickly opening the door with one hand, while holding Remy up with the other. He placed Remy in the passenger's side of the Jeep, buckling him in, and then shutting the door. He ran over to the driver's side and jumped inside. He slammed his own door shut, then peeled out of the parking lot.

He growled, driving as fast as he could. His eyes looking over at Remy every so often. He was like a limp, lifeless doll. Remy would have folded over like a napkin if it were not for the seatbelt keeping him up. One of Logan's hands moved away from the stirring wheel, to fumble with the Jeep's cup holder, taking out one of the few Communicator's he kept around.

"Hank!?" He shouted into the communicator, still driving erratically towards the mansion. "Hank, I need you to get the medical bay ready, now!!"

"Logan? What happened?" Hank sounded worried as he spoke over the communicator. Only he and Logan had been left at the mansion while the other X-Men were on a mission. Who could possibly need the medical bay? Certainly not Logan, he had a healing factor!

"It's Remy… he's hurt bad. I need you to have the lab ready when I arrive!" Logan shouted into the communicator, taking a sharp turn on the road. It was a dangerous move, but he had to get Remy back to the mansion as soon as possible. "He's really bad, Hank! I think I'm starting to lose him!"

"Remy.. Is alive?" Hank was stunned by such news. For a year, he blamed himself for doing nothing at his Trial. Because of his inactions, he thought Remy had died in Antarctica. Quickly, he came out of his guilt and started to take action, talking to Logan as he started to get the medical bay ready. "I'm on it, Logan. Just get him here as quickly as possible! I am not going to make the same mistake I made a year ago!"

Logan did not say anything more, he focused on driving, making his way to the mansion in record time. The Jeep skid to a stop before the main entrance, right in front of Hank and a medical gurney he had set up for Remy. He wasn't kidding, the man was trying to make up for his mistake, his sin.

"He's barely breathing, and he's got a weak pulse, Hank!" Logan rushed out of his side of the Jeep, and nearly tore off the door to Remy's side. He unbuckled the young man and carefully laid him on the gurney, with Hank's help.

"Logan… what happened to him!?" Hank was clearly in shock by the sight before him. Remy was clearly malnourished, but there were claw markings on his neck, and blood covering his clothes, which were clearly not his. With Logan's help, they started to move the gunnery inside of the mansion, Hank questioning Logan the entire way. "Logan… tell me what happened!?"

"Creed had him the entire time! He messed with Remy to get back at me!" Logan growled, now heading for the elevator with Hank. He found himself keeping a hand on Remy's shoulder. "Even when the Massacre happened… he set the kid up for the fall, just to hurt me."

"Remy wasn't a part of the Morlock Massacre? But… with what Psylocke and Rogue said.." Hank shook his head, waiting for the elevator to hit the floor with the Medical Bay. "I do not understand Logan, why would he do all of this to get back at you? You did not know Remy back then! And even now, you were just friends!"

"Because he's my son, Hank!" Logan hated to reveal such a dark secret, but Hank had to understand why Creed would go after Remy like this. "He's… he's my son, Hank."

End of Chapter 2


	3. Heritage

Lone Wolves

By Nicole Wagner: The Deadly Gambit

Rated: PG-13/R for violence, sexual themes, and language

Summary: An Alternate version of what happened AFTER Antarctica in Uncanny X-Men #350. Everything you know that happened, is not what it seemed.

I would like to take this time to thank my muses Nekobaghira, Cathy-kins, Beej, and RogueMoon for helping me out with this story by allowing me to hear their ideas, and share mine with them. And a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story and encouraged me to continue writing this story! Thank you!! Keep those reviews coming!

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Chapter 3: Heritage

Logan stood outside the medical bay, his nerves starting to get to him. He had been watching Hank as he tried to stabilize Remy, and it made his heart ache. As the young man's clothing was cut away, Logan could see Remy was covered in brutal looking scars. It looked as though he had been mauled by a bear.

Eventually, Logan had to turn away from the sight. His rage was growing with each mark he saw on Remy's body, his son's body. He could not bare to see anymore. He needed to get out of here, he needed to take his rage out on something.

"Hank… I'll be in the Danger Room. Tell me when he's stabilized." He managed to tell Hank, barely able to suppress the growl coming from his throat.

" I will, my friend." Hank spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper as he began to completely remove the shirt he had to cut from Remy's body. It was then he noticed a black "X" tattooed on the inside of Remy's forearm. He shook his head, wondering what such a mark meant, and why Sabretooth would place it on Remy's body.

Logan found himself setting the Danger Room to the highest level possible. He extended his claws, not caring if he was in his uniform or not. He needed to destroy something, he needed to suppress the rage growing in his body. It was not just rage over what Creed had done to his son, it was the fact he abandoned the Remy to begin with.

Twenty eight years ago, Logan was in New Orleans with a few members of Department H. They were in the city for Mardi Gras, and some illicit fun. It was then he met a young Cajun woman, one with long brown hair and the greenest eyes you could ever see. She was a "good time girl", and Logan certainly had a real good time with her. But within two weeks, the fun was over, and back to Canada he went.

His claws tore through one of the Danger room robots as he thought of what he had done. He left without giving the girl a number, or a second look. No way to contact him, and no way to know she was carrying his son. It wasn't until a year later he received a package from New Orleans. A package that haunted him for many years.

Inside of the package was the bloodied ear of the woman he had been with in New Orleans, and a few locks of hair. Short, brown strands of hair. There was also a blood soaked note from Sabretooth himself. It was something he would never forget.

"Looks like I found another one of your girlie friends, Logan. Only this one had your kid! I could smell it on him, he had your blood, and the eyes of the devil himself. Sent them both back to hell. As long as I am living, I'll make you and anyone you love suffer!"

For years, he thought is son was dead. He mourned the lost child, and hated himself for not sticking around. He was a real bastard, and because of that innocents paid. He kept the locks of his son's hair, unable to get rid of them. It was the only proof he had that he once had a family, and he was stupid enough to throw it all away.

It wasn't until twenty three years later that Storm came to the X-Men with a new member. As soon as the kid walked in, he knew… his son was alive. It was a scent he could never forget, even if he tried. Sabretooth had not killed him, he spared him… only to make him suffer, now.

Logan pulled his claws out of the last Danger Room robot he had slain. The clothes on his back basically turned into rags, now. Creed kept Remy alive, in hopes that he would find him, one day. Become attached to his son, and then torture him to get back at him. A plot twenty eight years in the making. A sick, twisted plot.

"Logan? It's been three hours, my friend." A voice came over the Danger room intercom. He grunted, looking in the direction of the control room to see Hank standing there at one of the microphones. "Remy is stable now, you can see him if you want. Also, I would like to talk to you."

"Good." He retracted his claws, and walked out of the Danger Room, basically leaving it in pieces. He went to the locker room and quickly changed his clothes before meeting Hank in the Medial Bay. He could see Remy in his medical bed, tubes in his arms, his nose, and even one in his mouth. Hank had cleaned him up, bandaged him, and even cut his hair short.

"I had to cut his hair… it got in the way of his wounds." Logan turned his head, watching Hank walk into the room. "He has extensive scars, and a few burn wounds on his body, and some damage to his ear drums." There was a solemn look on his face, as he stood by Logan's side. "He'll need hearing aides in order to hear properly. Plastic surgery to repair the scars on his body…"

"When's he gonna wake up, Hank?" Logan interrupted him, finding himself running a hand through Remy's now short hair. It didn't really look good on him, but it was better than what he had before.

"He's in a medicated coma, Logan. I had to put him in one so his body could heal properly." Hank walked over to Logan, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I need to gain his weight to a healthier number before waking him up. Otherwise he risks having a heart attack or a stroke."

"That ain't what I asked, Hank." Logan frowned, looking up at Hank. If looks could kill, the one he was giving off could kill about two hundred people. "When is he going to wake up?"

"In a month…" Hank sighed, lowering his head. "I'll wake him in a month, Logan."

Logan turned his head back to Remy. His hand ruffling the young man's hair, trying to make it look somewhat like the Remy he knew. The claw marks on the side of his face bothered him, despite how faint they looked. As his eyes traveled down, he started to growl. He lifted Remy's right arm up, seeing the tattoo upon it.

"I have been trying to figure out the meaning behind that tattoo, Logan." Hank watched Logan Carefully. The man was growling, furious, now. "Logan?"

"It's the mark that some experiments in Weapon X were given… the failed ones." He gently placed Remy's arm under the blankets of the bed he was in, and then picked up a tray by his bed, throwing it into the wall. His memory of Weapon X were vague at best, but he remembered that mark. Creed put that mark on Remy, he wanted Logan to know what a failure his son was.

Hank quickly grabbed Logan's arms, trying to calm the shorter man down. It failed to work and the shorter man shrugged him off easily. He then tried to change the subject. "Logan, how do you know Remy is your son?"

"I never forget a scent, Hank." Logan frowned , trying his best to calm down. "I don't want to get into that. Not now…"

"Does he even know?" Hank noticed a sadness in Logan's face as he asked that question. The feral man finally calmed down some, and then took a seat by Remy's side.

"No, he doesn't." A sigh escaped his lips, as he looked up at Hank. "I never wanted him to know. If he found out I was his Dad, he'd push me away. I'd rather keep him as a friend, then lose him as my son. His whole life, he felt like his family abandoned him. I don't want to add to that, Hank."

"Perhaps that is best, my friend. Considering how many times our Acadian friend has been… abandoned, keeping such information from him would be in his best interest." Hank looked down. He was just as guilty as Logan for abandoning the young man. "When he awakens, he may refuse to let me treat him any further, Logan."

"I'll try and talk him into it. I wasn't at the trial, Hank… he may still trust me in some way." Logan's look was now a bit grim, his hand reaching out to touch Remy's. He just needed to hold his hand, even if it was just for a few minutes. He had to know his boy would be okay. He still had to, no wanted to protect him. "And Hank?"

"Yes Logan?" Hank looked up, his face still riddled with guilt for leaving the son of one of the greatest X-Men to die.

"Stop blaming yourself for what happened." Logan's eyes looked up at him, then back down to Remy. "Just help him now."

With a slow nod of his head, Hank made his way out of the room, leaving the father and son behind. Logan was right, if he did not get past what happened at the trial, how could he properly treat Remy, now? If he wanted to atone for what he had done, he had to put it in the past, where it belonged. As he stood at the door to the Medical Bay, he took a look back, seeing Logan just holding Remy's hand, guarding him. Perhaps there was more to the Canadian then the X-Men knew.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Revelations

Lone Wolves

By Nicole Wagner: The Deadly Gambit

Rated: PG-13/R for violence, sexual themes, and language

Summary: An Alternate version of what happened AFTER Antarctica in Uncanny X-Men #350. Everything you know that happened, is not what it seemed.

I would like to take this time to thank my muses Nekobaghira, Cathy-kins, Beej, and RogueMoon for helping me out with this story by allowing me to hear their ideas, and share mine with them. And a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story and encouraged me to continue writing this story! Thank you!! Keep those reviews coming!

* * *

Chapter 4: Revelations

Logan's mind was swimming, hands shaking as he started to pull on his uniform. He was so angry, so furious. Hank wanted to run more thorough tests on Remy, ensure the issues with his hearing were the only ones he'd have to deal with. He did not want to be around for those tests, he wanted to make someone pay. He wanted to make Creed pay.

As he pulled his mask over his face, he heard the familiar sound of the locker room door opening. A low growl escaped his lips and he turned towards the door. Cyclops stood there. The other X-Men must have finally returned from their mission.

"What the fuck do you want, Summers?" He was really not in the mood to put up with Scott's crap right now.

"Hank filled us in on what was going on." He spoke like the leader he was, cold and straight to the point. "Logan, why didn't you tell us Remy was your son?"

"Would you have treated him any different if I did?" Logan growled again, slowly standing up and walking towards Cyclops. He took note of the changed expression on Scott's face. One of complete and utter shock.

"I would like to think we would have treated him the same way." Scott's voice lowered some. Perhaps that was not the best thing to say at the moment. The X-Men treated Remy like crap, and he knew it. Scott tried to go back to looking stern, as Logan moved closer. "Where are you going?"

"None of your Goddamn business, Slim." He growled again, unable to help it. His rage was starting to boil over, his anger growing with every word and every step he made. "But I ain't gonna be long."

"Logan, I think you should stay and look after Remy. This way we can discuss a plan to go after Sabretooth and find out what happened." As soon as the words left his lips, Scott regretted them. Logan's narrowed eyes looked up into his visor, his teeth bared, and his claws now extended, right in front of his face.

"Right, like how you guys "planned" to look for him, after he was missing for a fucking week!" Maintaining some control, Logan retracted his claws and pushed past Cyclops. "This is personal, and I'm gonna handle it! I'm not gonna fail him again, not like you guys did!"

"Logan, that's not…" He frowned, trying to defend his actions, and that of the X-Men. But Scott knew they were wrong. Leaving Remy behind was unacceptable. If it were any other X-Man, people would have bent over backwards to go get them, to punish whoever left them behind. Instead, everyone just went on with their lives. Logan was right, he had no right to try and stop him.

It took Wolverine less than an hour to track Creed's scent. He traced it from Harry's Hideaway, back to the spot where he found Remy. It was easy to find him, too easy. Almost a though Creed wanted to be found. Something was up, and for all Logan knew he could be running into a trap. Good, that meant more people who would suffer for his boy's pain.

" I was wonderin' when you were gonna show up, Runt." Creed just stood there, still as a statue. He was standing in the exact spot where Remy had been tied to a tree, his large, clawed hand moving over the bar that Logan's claws scraped. "Is the kid still alive?"

"Barely. But he's gonna live, unlike you, Creed!" Logan felt the animal in him taking over. His claws extended as he moved closer to Creed. His movements were slow and skilled, a cat getting ready to pounce.

"You think I was the only one who did that to him?" Creed gave off a toothy grin. " You give me way too much credit. I'm the only reason he's still alive, Runt. If I didn't take him away when I did, you'd be burying him right now."

Logan let out a war cry, slamming his claws into Creed's shoulder. To his surprise, Creed wasn't fighting back, he just stood there, chuckling like the mad man that he was. His actions threw Logan off a little bit, but it didn't make him relent in his attack.

"Start talkin' , Creed… now! I want answers!" He snarled, slowly pulling his claws out of Creed's shoulder, only to push them back in. "What the fuck are you talking about!? Who else was involved in this!?"

"You should know by the tattoo on his arm." That smirk only grew bigger on Creed's face, despite the pain he was in from the claws in his shoulder. "Weapon X ."

"Yer lyin' ! I took'em out when I escaped years ago!" Logan was shaking in anger even more, now. He slammed his free fist into Creed's stomach, knocking the air out of the larger man.

"Heh… not everyone, Runt!" Creed was coughing, getting the air back into his lungs and laughing more. "Turns out you ripped up the face of one of those guards real good. So good, he lost everything, and blamed you for it. He swore revenge, and restarted Weapon X ten years after you escaped."

"How did they know about Remy!?" Logan snarled, his face a mere inch away from Creed's. His hot breath was hitting the other man in the face. " And how do you know about them restartin' the program!?"

"Simple… they found and hired me to make your life a livin' hell." There was a smirk on Creed's face that not even Logan's claws could wipe off at this point. "When I found that frail of yours in New Orleans, I passed the information to the Director of Weapon X.. He said to keep tabs on the kid, an' I did. As he got older, I startin' to make his life just as shitty as yours. Help groom him to eventually join the program, by showin' that no one would ever love or accept him."

This caused Logan's face to change. One that was once of fury and animalistic rage, to that of sadness. Remy's whole life was played by Weapon X. Secretly pulling strings and taking away anything and anyone that would provide his son with a chance of a good life. As much as he wanted to blame Sabretooth and the new Weapon X for all of this, he had some blame, as well.

"I purposely got myself caught by the X-Men to watch him. See his hate for me, and try and find the one thing that would push him over the edge, and towards Weapon X." Creed's smirk faded into a frown as he looked at Logan. "Turns out it was his own girlie Rogue. Made up some story about Paris, and it caused her to dump the kid right then and there. Without even letting' him to defend himself. If she did all of that over a lie of some girl he seduced, then I knew something a little bigger would cause her to really break him. Something that would give her "tunnel" vision."

"So you lied about his involvement with the Morlocks to her?!" Logan's face turned back to fury, as he jammed his other set of claws into Creed's other shoulder, keeping him pinned..

"I wish. But that was Joseph's job." Creed remained still, despite Logan's claws deep in his shoulders. He was still smirking, when a normal man would be in complete agony. "When Remy's girlie ran off on him, again… I let Weapon X know about it, and they sent out some tool to go and seduce her. Funny thing is, he ain' even a mutie, or human for that matter. Some new fangled android the program was working on. He's got some program that can manipulate people's thoughts and memories, even telepaths. Plus he's made of organic materials, which gives him a scent."

Logan just stood there as reality hit him, and hit him hard. Not only was his son innocent of the Morlock Massacre, he was set up to be thrown out of the X-Men, and his reputation tarnished even more. How could the X-Men, how could he get the wool pulled over his eyes so easily, how!?

"Once he was dumped in Antarctica, I was there to pick'em up and bring him back to Canada." Creed gave off a sickening smile as he looked up at Logan's eyes again. "I got to play with him for a whole week. I beat and clawed the hell out of him, but he didn't break. After that week, the Director of Weapon X took him from me. And from what I seen, he made what I did look like child's play."

"What the hell did they do to him, Creed!" Logan screamed, removing his claws from his body, only to slam them back in, only this time he hit lower. "Tell me what the fuck they did to my son!"

"They experimented on him, tortured him, tried just about everything they could to break'em. Tried to make him submit, become a weapon." His teeth were clenched as he finally grasped Logan's wrists, trying to pull the man's claws from his abdomen. "He wouldn' break, wouldn't submit, and kept tryin' to escape. After his third attempt, the Director and his little toys shot the Cajun in the back. Even with that injury, he tried to escape again. The Director was getting' pissed with this, so he made sure your kid could never escape him again. He beat'em so bad in the head, that he kept havin' these seizures."

"Why did they even want him in the first place!?" Logan finally removed his claws from Creed and just stood there. "And why did you save him… that ain' like you, Creed!"

"They wanted him because he can kill you, Runt… and that's my job!" He slowly rose to his feet, looking down at Logan with his teeth still bared. "I saved him not because I care, but because I needed to show you proof that Weapon X was back. They were gonna send him off to be killed, figured it was a good opportunity to bring you proof."

Logan turned his back towards Creed. He did not want to hear anymore. The thing he feared the most would now be what his son feared the most in life. Not just that, but Joseph was still with the X-Men, meaning Remy could be in more danger. He was about to leave when Creed reached out and grabbed his arm, placing something in his hand, a black disc case.

"Enjoy the show, Runt." He grinned darkly, before running off in the opposite direction.

End of Chapter 4


	5. Rose Tinted Glasses

Lone Wolves

Chapter 5: Rose Tinted Glasses

By Nicole Wagner: The Deadly Gambit

Rated: PG-13/R for violence, sexual themes, and language

Summary: An Alternate version of what happened AFTER Antarctica in Uncanny X-Men #350. Everything you know that happened, is not what it seemed.

I would like to take this time to thank my muses Nekobaghira, Cathy-kins, Beej, and RogueMoon for helping me out with this story by allowing me to hear their ideas, and share mine with them. And a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story and encouraged me to continue writing this story! Thank you! Keep those reviews coming!

* * *

Hank McCoy did not know what to do. Here he was a highly recognized doctor. and he could not help his dear friend. He looked up from the monitors to see the body of Remy LeBeau. He was pale, underweight, and motionless in his bed. After extensive testing, Hank discovered numerous broken bones most of which did not heal correctly. The ones that did heal were held together with pins and needles, so to speak.

It was devastating knowing that because of his own judgments, his own anger, Remy suffered. The broken bones, the scars, and no doubt the emotional damage were a testament to that. From what the Shi'ar technology was telling him, Remy would never be the way he was. That is what bothered him the most.

"I promised, when I became a doctor to "do no harm" to any of my patients. Unfortunately, I broke that oath with you, my friend." Hank spoke quietly as he walked over towards Remy, brushing the young man's hair back with his large, beast like hand. "I let my anger get to me, something I had rarely done. With my judgment blinded, you suffered. For that I am sorry, though I have high doubts mere words will ever make you feel better. Especially with all you have lost."

Earlier, he had told Logan that he feared Remy would have some form of hearing loss, when he found blood in his ear canals. However, after he ran a closer examination with the Shi'ar Technology the X-Men had, Hank was relieved to see that was a mistake. But that relief soon dissipated, once he discovered where that blood came from.

An X-ray of Remy's body revealed he had a skull fracture at one point, but that it healed over with time and with sub par medical treatment. It was safe to say that he was not given proper medical treatment with that injury, unlike the previous injuries he suffered. But that skull fracture was not the worst of his injuries, not by a long shot.

Remy's spine had been damaged badly, in a way he had never seen before. There appeared to be a hole in his spine, one that went clean through it. He knew of no surgical equipment or weapon that could produce such a wound. Whatever caused this wound more than likely crippled the young man some time ago, since the "hole" had been treated and filled in to keep his spine from breaking in half.

"I will understand if you hate me when you wake up, Remy." Hank whispered softly, as he continued to look down at his fallen friend. "If I was in your position, I would hate me, as well. A man who was supposed to be my friend, my team-mate… leaving me to suffer and eventually lose my lively hood."

"Hank?" He looked up to see one of his best friends, the current Leader of the X-Men standing at the doorway. Cyclops made his way over to him and Gambit, a stern look upon his face as he gazed at the two through ruby shades. "How is he?"

"He is stable, however closer inspection of our Acadian friend revealed some horrific injuries." Hank sighed as he turned away from Remy to speak more directly to Cyclops. "I doubt we have the right to even call him a friend after this, Scott. These wounds were barbaric in nature. Most were only inflicted to cause him pain and agony. Others were meant to disable him, permantly."

"Disable?" Scott turned pale as he heard this. "Are you saying…"

"He will never walk again, Scott. Not with the spinal damage I have found." As he took off his glasses to clean them on his lab coat, Hank walked past Scott and back towards his desk. "I do not even know what neurological damage Remy has from the skull fracture . We will not know the answer to that question until it is safe for me to wake Remy up."

"Hank, this was not your fault." Scott looked over at Remy,. He watched the younger man's chest rise and fall for a few moments, before his attention was turned back to Hank. "You were tricked like the others. We could not have known…"

"It is no excuse for how we treated him!" Hank slammed his fists down on his desk as he turned towards Scott. "We demonized him, Scott! Everyone was so willing to believe what we saw and heard, without a second thought! And even after that trial, a majority of us spoke poorly of Remy!"

"We cannot change the past, Hank ! You cannot keep beating yourself over something you have no control over!" Scott frowned, giving one of his oldest friends a glare under his visor. "The wool was pulled over our eyes and there is nothing we can do to change that! We all just have to forget about it and move on!"

"Even now, you tend to see the world through rose tinted glasses, literally as well as figuratively." Hank muttered under his breath as he looked up at Scott. "Not all of us can just forget this has happened. And I doubt Remy ever will."

That statement struck Scott , leaving him silent as he stood there. As much as he wanted to forget the failure of the X-Men, it would never be possible. Remy was a living reminder of that failure. His broken body proof that the X-Men, like all mortals, were human and prone to mistakes.

* * *

Rogue slowly got out of the spare X-Jet she and Joseph borrowed to get away from it all. Hearing that Remy had returned did not set well with her at all. There no longer was a need for him, she had Joseph now. He was everything she wanted in a man, and someone she could actually touch. The stuff her dreams were made of.

Though while in her rush to get away from Gambit's return, she had forgotten some basic necessities. So they quickly returned to the Mansion, hoping to get in and out with ease. Besides, everyone would no doubly be busy tending to Gambit. No one would know they were even there.

"Are you sure we should come back, Rogue? We can always buy new things where-ever we go." Joseph spoke, a smile on his handsome face as they left the hanger and entered the sub basement of the mansion.

"Ah'm sure. Besides, ah've been dyin' to wear this special lingerie for you for this trip!" Rogue poured out that southern charm of hers as she held on to Joseph's hand. The lingerie she spoke of was originally something she bought to one day wait for Remy, wait to be able to touch him. But that never happened, so why should she let it go to waste? "We're gonna have so much fun, Joseph! You just wait an' see, Sugah."

"Oh? I guess such a thing is worth coming back for then!" With a chuckle, Joseph turned the corner with Rogue, fingers laced together as they were steps away from the Elevator to the main floor of the mansion. Just as they were about to push the button to summon it, the door opened, and they were met with the sight of a rather feral looking Wolverine.

"Oh, Logan!" Rogue spoke with surprise, watching as he started to growl with a near uncontrollable rage. "We were just about to…"

Before Rogue could even finish her sentence, Logan had lunged at Joseph. With his claws extended. The force knocked her to the side, her eyes wide as she watched the two fighting. The shock of what was happening caused her to scream out, unable to believe this was happening.

"Logan, NO!"

* * *

The room had been silent for quite some time, until they heard a loud scream coming from the hallway of the sub basement they were in. Both Hank and Scott ran out into the hallway and were greeted to a scene of pure horror. Rogue had been shoved aside and Logan had his claws going right through Joseph's neck. The two must have returned earlier than expected, and ran into Logan.

"My Stars and garters…" Hank just stood there in shock, while Scott got ready to take action. He quickly grabbed Scott's arm to stop him, taking note of something important. Joseph, with those fatal injuries, was not bleeding blood.

With a growl escaping Logan's lips, he pulled his claws away, severing Joseph's head from it's neck. There was no blood, no muscle, no tissue, no bone. Nothing but circuits and wires filled the young man they had taken in to the X-Men. They were all tricked by a machine. A machine!

"No! Logan!" Rogue was in tears, rushing past Logan to kneel before what was left of Joseph. Tears filled her emerald eyes, her body shaking as she reached her hand out to the broken machinery before her. "Do you know what you just done! Do you!"

Logan could not stop growling, he retracted his claws looking down at Rogue. At one point, he saw her as a close friend, someone he could trust in battle. But that soon faded once she started to date his son. As their romance bloomed, so did the real Rogue. An angry, unhappy woman, who wanted to make the world feel as bad as she did.

"What I done? What about you?" He glared down at Rogue. "You sold out your boyfriend, for this! Some stupid fantasy that was not even real! You broke his heart for some god damn fantasy of perfection!"

"Rogue… you… you did not…" Scott could not even say it. He was in complete shock. For years, Rogue had fought hard to prove herself as an X-Man. He considered her the poster-child for reform. If she sold Remy out to his current suffering, how could he have been so blind? "Rogue?"

"What good was Remy!" Rogue shouted at the top of her lungs, glaring back at the other men. "He believed in some stupid puppy dog love! Always being soooo romantic an' charmin' , but when it came to what ah wanted, he couldn' do anything! He was just some washed up former thief who couldn' do anything with a woman even if he tried! He just knew how to use sweet words an' charms, nothing' more!"

"You have got to be fucking insane!" Logan grabbed Rogue by her shoulders and threw her against the wall. "He loved you! He actually fucking love you, and that was not enough for you! The kid wore his heart on his sleeve for you, and THIS is how you rewarded him! By helping to hand him over to Weapon X on a silver platter!"

Rogue hissed hearing this. She could not stop giving Logan a glare as he kept her pinned to the wall. Scott and Hank just looked at her in disappointment and shock. They almost looked like they pitied her, and she had always hated such a look.

"Ah didn' know that he was gonna go to Weapon X. Ah thought he would find some way to crawl back to the X-Men, like he's done with everyone in his life!" Rogue continued to frown, looking as defiant as ever. "He's just some lost, pathetic child, crawlin' around on the floor next to his dead Mama. Jus' waitin' for some sorry sap to pick him up an' take him home! That's what ah thought!"

Hearing that, Logan nearly lost it. He wanted to gut her right there and then, he wanted her to suffer and hurt for as much as she made his son hurt. Instead, he let out a loud howl, throwing Rogue towards the elevator and away from him. His eyes narrowed as he turned towards Scott and Hank, the two still in shock over everything they saw and heard.

"She ain' worth me guttin' !" he snarled, walking past the two. "I don't even give a fuck about what happens to her, anymore. My son was a better X-Man than she'll ever be."

Scott watched Logan walk off to the medical lab, and then turned his attention towards Rogue. His so called "rose tinted glasses" had shattered and he finally saw all the flaws the X-Men had. It just took one broken body and one ungrateful Southern Belle for him to see the truth. His lips became a thin line as he walked over towards Rogue.

"Rogue." Scott spoke sternly, as though he were talking to a new recruit of the X-Men. "What you did… it was selfish and down right pathetic! You could have not only killed Remy, but jeopardized the whole team with the lies you and Joseph told! Everyone would have suffered, just so you could live in some little fantasy world!"

"Don' you dare tell me-" Rogue started to yell back at Scott, when he stopped her dead in her tracks.

"You NEVER worked hard on your powers! Instead, you just liked to blame the world and gain pity! If you had worked a little harder and stopped playing "oh woe is me", you could have control them! Perhaps even been happy!" He frowned, yelling a bit louder at her. "But no! You just turned Gambit into your own personal scapegoat! You made him suffer for what! A robot!"

For that moment, Rogue went silent. Her eyes widened as she was hit with a big dose of reality. A reality she did not want to have to deal with. She had NEVER taken responsibility for any of her actions, even when it came to Ms. Marvel, she never took full responsibility for her role, but blamed someone else. She was about to open her mouth, to defend herself, when once again Scott stopped her.

"Rogue, pack your things and get out." There was a flash of red behind Scott's glasses. He was tired. He was tired of hearing any excuse Rogue had to give him on anything. For years he just felt pity and sympathy for her. No longer. Now she had to face her own reality, just as he had to. "If you cannot take responsibility for your actions or desire to work on your powers, then there is no home for you here. You are just wasting space for someone who could really use it."

"You… your throwin' mah out!" Rogue looked up at him, getting back on her feet quickly. "You can't do that!"

"I can, and I did." Scott kept looking at Rogue, his stern face never wavering. "When you decided to come back to reality and grow up, then give me a call. Maybe we can work something out. But until then, pack your things and go."

"You know what, fine! Ah'll go! You can keep that pathetic thief and see what happens! He's just gonna ruin things for yah! He always does!" Rogue, stomped towards the elevator, pressing the button and opening the doors. "You'll be sorry when ah'm gone, Cyclops! The X-Men NEED me, more than ah need them!"

Again, Scott felt pity for her. Rogue could not, nor would not get a sense of reality. He turned back towards Hank, and the remains of "Joseph". It was odd, really. Once he was broken, Rogue did not seem to care about him anymore. Almost like how she grew tired of Remy. People were just disposable things to her, and that was truly sad.

"Hank, do you think you can pull any data off of Joseph?" Scott adjusted his ruby glasses and turned towards his friend. "I want to know the full story of what happened, and I have a feeling any data off of him could help."

"The memory unit does not seem to be damage from Logan's wraith. I believe I can get all of the data off of it, Scott." Hank gave a faint smile, trying to remain cheery, despite the chaos around him. "It may take me a few hours, but I will get it. I only ask one favor for now."

"What is it, Hank?"

"I need you to check on Logan and Remy. I am worried for them, since Logan did not think Remy knew about what happened to his Mother. And if Rogue's venomous words are true, perhaps Remy knows more of his heritage than he led us to believe."

End of Chapter 5


	6. Glycerine

Lone Wolves

Chapter 6: Glycerine

By BeeJ and Nicole Wagner: The Deadly Gambit

Rated: PG-13/R for violence, sexual themes, and language

Summary: An Alternate version of what happened AFTER Antarctica in Uncanny X-Men #350. Everything you know that happened, is not what it seemed.

This Chapter gets a special thank you to BJ, who helped write out this chapter and may be on board for the rest of the story! (I dunno yet, but I hope so! I miss writing with BJ!) People may also be confused by this chapter's title. "Glycerine" is the title of a "Bush" song from their album "16 Stone". I listened to it while working throughout the chapter with BJ, and it helped inspire it. I also encourage you to listen to the song while reading this chapter… since it just has a feeling of fitting in with all the emotions of the entire chapter.

I would like to take this time to give a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story and encouraged me to continue writing this story! Thank you! Keep those reviews coming!

* * *

Logan had slammed the door shut to the medical lab. He could not believe what was happening. It was like his whole world in a matter of hours was falling apart. Weapon X was back, his son's whole life was played out to give him nothing but pain and heart-ache, and Rogue had practically betrayed them all for some fantasy world.

He found himself struggling with the animal within, and the man he was. Logan did his best to try and regain his composure. He wanted to just lock himself in the danger room for a week and do nothing but destroy things until he felt better. But what good would that do? His son would still be gravely injured when he was done, Rogue would still be some pity hungry monster, and Weapon X would still be around.

He leaned against the wall watching the still form on the bed slowly breathing in  
and then out again for a long time. It was wrong, all wrong, he kept telling  
himself this couldn't be happening, but there was the proof; pale and damn near  
fatally wounded right in front of his burning eyes. Remy. He was always moving,  
could barely stand still most of the time and now... what would be left of him  
when he finally woke up again?

Memories washed over him without any warning, stealing his breath and making him  
feel chilled to the bone; watching the kid sink an impossible shot while playing  
pool, practically dancing his way through battles, smiling as he threw down yet  
another winning hand on poker night, riding his bike with no helmet; screaming  
with joy as the wind whipped through his long hair, drinking and smoking and  
being a general pain in the ass just to drive Cyke nuts...

Logan ran his hand through his hair and sighed; moving to the chair beside the  
bed sounded like a good idea but he couldn't make his feet go. He hadn't slept  
since he brought Remy home, and even with the healing he was feeling all of his  
years and was dead tired.

"I'm a little jealous, kiddo." His voice sounded rough and overly loud in the  
little room. He finally found the strength to push away from the jamb and  
dropped into the uncomfortable chair. He'd have to see about getting a better  
one down here soon. "Maybe I should just make ya move over, huh?" He imagined  
Remy's brows shouting up at the little joke. He picked up the newspaper off the  
floor but threw it back down just as quickly, there was nothing in the news he  
cared about anymore. Leaning forward he brushed Remy's bangs back as their last  
night together played out in his mind. "Damn it, Rem ..."

* * *

"You're drinkin' like you're runnin' away from somethin', kid, spill it."

Remy just looked at him over the top of his glass, "Maybe Remy don' wanna talk  
about it.

Logan grabbed his elbow and led him to the side of the bar to a small booth. It  
was past closing time and they had the bar to themselves. "Well maybe Remy don't  
get a choice. Sit. Tell me what's eatin' ya. I know something's botherin' ya,  
that's why I drug you out tonight. We were havin' a good time then all of a  
sudden you clam up and start tryin' to out drink me. Come on, Rem, you know you  
can trust me kiddo."

Remy closed his eyes with a sigh then waved to Harry and waited until he left  
the bottle of amber liquid on the table before lighting a cigarette and blowing  
the smoke out in a long, slow breath. "It be m' anniversary t'day. Congratulate  
me."

Logan was about to ask what he meant when the meaning of the statement hit him,  
"Belle? This is about you an' Belle?"

"Oui." Remy looked down into his glass of bourbon, then back up at Logan. "Woulda been our tenth anniversary, if she was alive. Not dat it woulda been a happy one for us."

"Why not, kid? Thought you and her had something." Logan frowned, remembering when the Brood attacked New Orleans. Belle had given her life to save the X-Men, Ghost Rider, and both Guilds that day. Remy was in shock, but he never cried, nor did he have time to mourn. Instead he went back to the X-Men without a peep. He always thought the reason was it was too painful for him to talk about. But with how Remy was acting at this moment, there seemed to be more under the surface.

"We was jus' friends. Nuthin' more, nuthin' less." Remy drank the last drop of bourbon from his glass, and instead of refilling it, he went straight for the bottle instead. "We woulda been stuck in a love-less, meaning-less marriage. Nuthin' but tension, hate, an' anger on both sides. It wouldn' even be close to anything normal. Not like what Jean an' Scott got."

Logan raised an eyebrow at this. He then placed his hand on Remy's, preventing the younger man from picking up the bottle of bourbon and drinking even more. He never imagined that his son would have ended up in such a marriage, much less end up getting his heart stomped on by Rogue.

"Was it because of the Guilds? I know you said you had to marry her to prevent some war between'em." Right after Logan said that, he was taken back by Remy's reaction. He was laughing, and not a drunk laughter either. It was more like the kind of laughter to let out to prevent yourself from crying.

"Dat was a lie, too. Guess Roguie right an' I can' even tell de truth to no one." Frowning a little, Remy tried to take his bottle of bourbon back from Logan. "You give me dis bottle back, an' I'll tell you de whole story. Jus' gotta make me a promise."

"What's that, kid?"

"What I tell you now... it stays b'tween us, oui? No need t' involve anyone  
else. It ain' th' kinda story I want passed aroun'."

Logan took the bottle and filled Remy's glass, "Start talkin' kid."

Harry seemed to magically appear with another bottle of beer for Logan and an  
extra glass in case he decided to switch to the kid's harder stuff. "I'm headin'  
out boys. Lock the place up on your way out." He dropped a set of keys on the  
table.

They nodded and watched as the old bartender left through a back door. "Okay  
kiddo it's just the two of us now. Tell me a story."

Remy played with his pack of cigarettes. He desperately wanted to smoke one but  
knew that was just a stalling technique. Instead he pulled a card out of his  
pocket and flipped it through his fingers. "Me and Belle... we go way back. Met  
her even b'fore I met papa. She had th' prettiest eyes. So I talk to her once in  
a while, compliment her, we become friends, well as friendly as a street rat an'  
a princess could ever get."

He finally lit a cigarette before continuing, "We come t' be pretty good friends  
f' a couple o' kids who supposed t' be enemies. Talked a lot, even followed her  
t' watch her practice a couple o' times."

Logan poured himself a drink from the bottle and stopped him, "Wait wait wait...  
you followed her into her own practices? In Assassin territory? And you never  
got caught?"

Remy gave him a strange smile, "I liked the girl, non, an' Remy, he was a very good little thief. They never knew I was there. That's when I first got a look at Julien, her "brother", keep that in mind. Sick sonofabitch…"

Logan saw the look of disgust on his son's face. He knew instantly that he  
needed to hear more about Julien but he didn't want to interrupt Remy now that  
he finally had him talking. He had a feeling that Julien would somehow come back  
into the story anyway. He poured the kid another drink and nodded for him to  
continue.

"I'd know Belle f' years by that time and I was livin' with papa... I wasn' a  
street rat no more. I was an equal, at least in the eyes of anyone who'd care,  
so I decided t' ask her out. Her birthday was comin' up soon and I thought we  
could maybe go on a real date."

"Sounds pretty ballsy. The son of a thief askin' the daughter of the Assassins on a date." Logan grinned some. Remy sometimes reminded him of himself, even if he never got the chance to raise him. Live and love dangerously.

"Nah, wasn' ballsy at all. I was jus' a fool wit' his first crush." A smirk crawled back upon Remy's face as he took another swig of his bourbon, before slamming his empty glass back down. "I snuck into her house de night before her birthday. Was dressed up fine, me. Even brought a rose for her, too. But as soon as I reached her bedroom door, well… My heart jus' shattered."

Logan was afraid to ask what Remy saw. No doubt it was no good if it broke his heart at such a young age. Instead, Logan just sat back in his chair and took in more bourbon as he let Remy explain more. He hurt as soon as he saw the smirk from Remy's lips disappear, and an extremely pained look come across his face.

"Belle was… she an' Julien' were fuckin' ." Remy poured himself another glass of bourbon. The bottle was starting to run low now, and he still did not feel buzzed enough to handle remembering this horrible story. "At first I t'ought he was hurtin' her, an' was gonna bust in dat room to play hero. But den, I heard her. She was telling' Julien she "loved" him. Her own "brother"! It was… it was disgustin' ! She "loved" HIM", a family member!"

Logan sat up in shock. It was no wonder Remy wanted to keep such a memory to himself and in private. He could actually imagine other X-Men laughing at Remy for this and pulling some "South" joke out of the bin. He just lowered his eyes, and placed a hand on Remy's shoulder, trying to at least show he was there and not going to judge him by this.

"I was in shocked, stumbled back a few feet from the door and knocked over a vase, 'casuin' Belle's Papa to come out of his study and catch me. Man was about to box my ears when he heard de noises from Belle's room. Instantly let me go an' ran over dere. De man was horrified at what he saw to say de least. Gave me enough time to get de hell outta dere." Remy's red on black eyes were partially closed, now. His fingers were spinning the empty glass on the table as he kept going, not even bothering to shrug Logan's hand off of his shoulder.

"Next day, Belle's Papa comes to my house to 'ave words with my Papa. Dey was in de study for a few hours. Thought I was gonna get my hide handed to me. Instead, Belle's Papa left the room, not before shakin' Jean Luc's hand an' lookin' to be all smiles. T'ought it was weird an' went to ask Papa what it was all about. He said I was gonna marry Belle for de sake o' de Guilds. Jean Luc ain' never been a gullible man in all his life, but he fell for dat lie hook, line, an' sinker."

"Did ya explain what ya saw?" He imagined his son going over that awful time in his mind, reliving the shock and pain, and hated himself once again because he was partially responsible for it. Swallowing hard he asked quietly, " Rem? Kiddo, what happened?"

"I told'em de truth. Told'em about what I saw dat night... said I was sorry for breakin' into de Assassian's main house dat night, an' even more sorry ah got him into dis mess. He looked at me an' told me I ain' don anyt'ing wrong, dat it was Belle an' Julien's fault... an' ah was payin' a price for dere sins."

"He wanted to call it off, wanted to yell at Marcus for suckerin' him into such a deal... but I stopped him. Dis pact, it meant no more needless killin', no more hatred between the Guilds. Just peace, like some calm after a big ol' storm. Jean Luc turned to me, begged me to t'ink about what I was sayin'. I was t'irteen years old, been livin' wit' Jean Luc for six years... an' such a choice would impact de rest o' my life. I looked at him an' said "One life for hundreds more", an' he just held me. T'ink he even shed tears, too."

Remy shed some tears of his own, taking the bottle of bourbon back from Logan and just putting it to his lips, drinking heavily. Logan did not have the heart to stop him, he just sat there watching the young man in such pain. "So that was it?"

"Dat was it. Jean Luc was proud o' me for sacrificin' so much for so many people, but he hurt. He knew I was gonna be stuck wit' "used goods" for de rest o' my life. T'ree years before I was to be married, he sent me to Paris to find myself, find some joy in my life before I ended up miserably for de rest. He kept encouraging me to find a nice woman while I was there, take on a Mistress so I would at least 'ave some love. Told'em no, I was not gonna be as bad as Belle an' her Broder."

"So... you sayin' you didn't go to Paris to sew your wild oats like your father suggested?" Logan looked somewhat puzzled at this. He was going to be stuck in a horrible marriage, yet he refused to go off and love any other women. It was almost unbelievable, but the pain on Remy's face made it all true. This meant the story Rogue had come up to him with was pure fiction. Remy never was with some girl in Paris back in his youth, making him possibly the most noble man he ever met. "What did you do while you were in Paris, then?"

"Heh, you wouldn' believe me if I told you, Logan." Remy chuckled, slamming down the now empty Bourbon bottle on the bar top. He placed his hands on his head, already feeling wasted from drinking so much. It took away his mental pain for the night, but no doubt it would be back in the morning at full force. "Mais, I can' drive home like dis. M'sorry... you mind givin' me a ride? Gotta wake up at some decent time to go to de City wit' de others."

"You are actually gonna go with them?" This surprised Logan. He knew Rogue and Joseph were talking about a possible romantic outing during the trip. It was like a sword in Remy's heart seeing the two together, and Logan was sure of that. Hell, he even though the way Rogue was flaunting her new relationship was in bad taste, and that said something. "You sure you wanna do that?"

"Eh, why non? I always wanted to go ice skatin' at Rockafella center... well, always wanted to try it, anyway." Remy was laughing, not a pained laugh by a care-free one. "I ain' one to let other people go an' ruin my fun."

Logan chuckled himself. Remy had a tendency to make the best of any situation, be it on the battlefield or off. He was always willing and able to adapt when needed, something most men could not do. "Alright Cajun, let's hit the road. You're a lucky son of a bitch, you know that? I don't normally drive the Jeep over to Harry's."

"Eh, I been told such." Remy chuckled himself, waving a hand dismissively at Logan. he wobbled a little as he stood there, watching Logan clean up their drinks for Harry. He then twirled the bar keys on his finger with his own jeep keys. "We make our own luck sometimes, no?"

"Damn straight we do." Logan put an arm around Remy's waist, trying to keep the kid from face planting as he walked. He felt bad for letting him get so sauced, but he knew Remy needed this. With all the shit that's been going on, he needed to have some form of fun. "Let's go. And no spewing in my Jeep. You do that Cajun, you are gonna regret it big time!"

* * *

Logan came back to reality when Hank walked back into the room. he was quite as a mouse, checking Remy's vitals and then changing the IV fluids that were being forced into his son's body. He had nothing to say as he watched Hank work. There was nothing to say.

End of Chapter 6


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